This invention relates to a horizontal baling apparatus for the compression of fibrous or other loose materials into coherent bale form in a totally enclosed environment, after which the formed bale may be wrapped with suitable bagging material and strapped to afford an appropriate package of material for storage and/or further processing.
In general, balers or compacters in which hydraulically operated reciprocal rams are utilized for the compression of loose materials into compact bale or package form have been used extensively for many years. Principally such baling apparatus has operated on a vertical basis where a vertically oriented reciprocally operated ram is provided for either an upstroke baling operation or a downstroke baling operation where during the baling operation, a face plate on the ram engages and compresses material to be baled into the confines of a baling chamber. The baling chamber, depending upon the particular overall operation of the apparatus has taken numerous forms. In vertically oriented bale presses, wrapping of the bale subsequent to formation of same has not presented a particular problem. With the vertically oriented presses, however, due to the height of same, it has oftentimes been necessary to rearrange equipment within the facility or even make structural modifications to the facility such as construction of a penthouse or other structure above the normal roof line of the building to accept the necessary height for reciprocal movement of the ram. With the upstroke vertical packer, while it was not generally necessary to construct a penthouse, a pit at a subterranean level with respect to the floor has been required to receive the ram and its associated motive arrangement. Both of the above vertically oriented systems thus require considerable capital expenditure by way of initial installation, and obviously once installed, the press is immobile, thus limiting the ability of one to reorganize the facility.
In attempting to overcome some of the economic and operational disadvantages of the vertically oriented presses, presses have been utilized where the plane of reciprocal movement of the ram is horizontal, with the material to be compressed being deposited ahead of the face of the ram to be forced during ram movement into a chamber or area where the material is compressed into bale form. While the horizontal press, per se, overcomes the general need for structural modification to an existing building to accommodate the utilization of same, certain disadvantages have heretofore been experienced with the horizontal presses. Particularly, the ability to properly wrap bagging materials around the bale after formation of same and without loss of bale integrity has been difficult where wrapping is required. For materials that once compressed into bale form, retain the integrity of the bale, such as scrap metals, wrapping is generally not required, and the bale may need only be strapped which may be easily accomplished in the baling chamber by the use of opposed end sheets or blanks around which suitable ties or strapping material are secured.
In certain industries, such as the textile and paper industries, a significant amount of waste fibrous or other material is produced which requires proper disposal or packaging for subsequent sale or reclamation. Oftentimes these fibrous or other materials encountered are of such character and size that once formed into a bale, bale integrity will not be maintained absent suitable wrapping material totally around the bale prior to strapping. A proper handling of these materials thus requires compression of the fibrous materials into bale form, followed by enclosure of the bale with a suitable cover and strapping or tieing while retaining at least a certain degree of pressure on the bale during the entire operation. Otherwise, the compacted fibrous materials, as mentioned above, will expand and distort or otherwise destroy the previously formed bale.
In the textile industry particularly, manmade fibers that have been thermally or otherwise processed to achieve certain stretch or bulk characteristics, retain a particular configurational memory. Fibrous waste materials of this type of yarn once formed into a bale possesses tremendous force due to the aforementioned memory characteristics such that unless properly wrapped and strapped, the bale will virtually explode. Still further, particularly in shearing operations, fibrous waste is produced having virtually no cohesive force or mechanical fiber to fiber interlocking ability to assist in retention of formed bale integrity. This particular type of material once compressed, will simply fall from the compressed state upon removal of pressure if the bale is not wrapped. Significantly, these types of materials heretofore have not been baled, but have simply been stored in loose, uncompressed form in corrugated containers or the like, which of course requires significant storage space and handling requirements.
While horizontal balers have heretofore been provided for baling paper products, fibrous materials and the like, wrapping of the bale has generally required extrinsic apparatus to first remove the bale from the compression chamber. Such an arrangement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,613,556 and 3,762,309 to Wright et al where the formed bale is forced from the compression chamber for the external application of strapping thereto.
Generally speaking insofar as horizontal balers are concerned, devices have also been provided with "closed baling chambers" where compressible materials such as corrugated paper board, aluminum cans, or the like are compressed and tied, but not wrapped or bagged. The concept of wrapping or bagging the compressed bale within the baling chamber represents a significant departure from the prior art balers where the bale was simply tied with wire, metal strapping or the like. In my presently copending application, Ser. No. 156,193 filed Sept. 11, 1980, and entitled "Baling Apparatus and Method", a horizontal baler and baling method is disclosed wherein once a bale of compressed material is produced, and while compression pressure is maintained thereon by the position of the ram, side doors are opened, the bale is wrapped in part, strapping is applied therearound, compression is released and the bale is then removed from the baling chamber for completion of wrapping. The present invention is likewise directed to the same general concept of that set forth in my copending application referred to above, including certain improvements thereon as specified hereinafter.
There is no known prior art that is believed to anticipate or suggest the subject matter of the present invention.